Billy Loughnane Receives 21-Day Ban for Improper Riding at Southwell

Billy Loughnane rode Beelzebub back from the start of the final race at Southwell on Thursday despite the racecourse veterinary surgeon having already withdrawn the six-year-old gelding as lame, and the stewards handed Britain's record-breaking young jockey a 21-day suspension for his trouble.

The incident unfolded at the start of the day's last race when trainer David Loughnane's Beelzebub, a Dark Angel gelding, received a kick and was assessed by veterinary staff as lame. The racecourse veterinary surgeon withdrew the horse from the race on those grounds. Billy Loughnane nonetheless rode the gelding back from the start, triggering a stewards' inquiry in which the rider, the BHA Veterinary Officer and the Racecourse Veterinary Surgeon were all interviewed.

The stewards' report left no ambiguity about the finding: "Billy Loughnane the rider of Beelzebub, had ridden his mount back from the start after the gelding had been withdrawn by the Veterinary Surgeon, as it was found to be lame due to being kicked at the start. The rider, the BHA Veterinary Officer and the Racecourse Veterinary Surgeon were interviewed. Loughnane was suspended for 21 days for improper riding in that in riding his mount back, he had acted against the instructions of the Veterinary Surgeon."

The ruling, handed down by Southwell stewards on March 26, takes effect from April 9 and runs through April 30, with Loughnane eligible to return on May 1. The timing cuts deep into one of the Flat season's most consequential stretches. He will miss Newmarket's three-day Craven Meeting and the G3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury, two fixtures that carry significant weight for horses and connections mapping out Classic campaigns. May 1, the first day Loughnane can ride again, is also the opening day of the Guineas meeting and the date Ascot stages its Royal meeting trials day.

The ban arrives at a particularly prominent moment in Loughnane's career. The 20-year-old surpassed Kieren Fallon's 21st-century record for winners in a calendar year during the 2025 season, cementing his status as the most marketable young rider in British racing. Missing three weeks of April fixtures will not define that trajectory, but losing the Craven Meeting and a Group Three at Newbury serves as a sharp reminder that veterinary authority on a racecourse is not discretionary.